Blair Mize is the co-founder of Memphis Nutrition Group, whose nourish-forward philosophy focuses on reconnecting people with their bodies through awareness and intention to create sustainable habits.
Tell us about your non-diet, weight-neutral approach
Rather than fixating on weight changes, our approach actively focuses on the day-to-day, empowering behaviors, as well as shifting the overall mindset from weight to wellbeing, in order to support overall health and quality of life.
Why is mindset so important to sustaining change?
Our clients come to us in all different shapes and sizes, many of whom have experienced stigma and shame, which are not good motivators for change. We use compassion, care, and understanding, to collaboratively create customized goals and strategies that establish better food and body relationships.
How do external influences disrupt our relationship with food and our bodies?
Diet culture is an 80+ billion dollar industry that is constantly feeding people messages about how to manipulate food and work against their bodies to change their appearance. We aim to calm the noise of those external, distracting influences so that people can develop a natural cadence in a world of misinformation.
What is body trust and why is it necessary for food peace?
There is a science to support the idea that we’re born with hunger and fullness cues and know how to land on a biologically appropriate weight for our bodies. Cultivating this means letting go of calculated measurements, counting calories, restricting food groups, and learning how to tune into the body’s natural signals.
Talk to us about your sports nutrition program.
We provide sports nutrition coaching to athletes of all levels in our office and have also partnered with Accel Performance and Wellness, powered by Campbell Clinic, to handle their consulting needs.
We use movement assessments as blueprints for devising purposeful plans. These can vary from training-season-specific performance to long-term functionality.
How has your own journey influenced your work in helping others?
Though I’d never want to walk through my own recovery journey again, I’m grateful to be able to support others in healing their food-body relationships.
How do your services differ from traditional nutritional counseling?
Our Registered Dietitians are all trauma-informed and have advanced training in counseling techniques and skills. We often work in a multi-disciplinary team with mental health therapists, physicians, psychiatrists, and physical therapists. The entire philosophy of our practice is centered on intuitive eating.
We start by sitting down with a patient over coffee in our living-room, home-style office space. Sessions include a lot of reflecting and journaling; it’s not just them coming in and us dictating what changes need to be made.
What is your goal with Memphis Nutrition Group?
Our mission is to help individuals and families reconnect with their bodies, find confidence and clarity in their everyday choices, and create a peaceful, balanced approach to food. We address the dissonance between mind and body. We want clients to look back on their lives with great memories of enjoying food with those they cherish most.
Blair Mize, MS, RDN, CSSD, LDN, CEDRD-S is co-owner of Memphis Nutrition Group, a nutrition and lifestyle counseling practice offering in-person and virtual nutrition therapy specializing in a non-diet, weight-neutral approach. Contact Memphis Nutrition Group at 901.343.6146 or visit MemphisNutritionGroup.com for more information.
By Shlomit Ovadia
